Air tempering apparatus



June 9, 1942. J. F. sHEL'roN 2,286,115

AIR TEMPERING APPARATUS v Filed sept.' 26.1940 *s sheets-.sheet 1 mk/Esheon,

(Ittome4 June-9, .1942- n l J. F. sHEL'rQN y 2,236,115v

AIR TEMIIERING APPARATUS Filed sept. 26. 1940 s sheets-sheet 2" Snventor Bu RWM/mf# 'l Gttor June 9, 1942. '.1. F. sHELToN AIR TEMPERING APPARATUS4 s sheets-Sheet 3 Filedsept. 26. 1940 f m. m. 1 6 6 eY o M 3v Patented June 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Am. TEMPERING APPARATUS Jack Fenner Shelton, Memphis, Tenn. Application September 26, 1940, Serial No. 358,551

I (c1. sis-ss) 3 Claims. This vinvention relates to improvements in air tempering apparatuses, herein more specically identied as a reversible heating and Ventilating system because of the capability of its dual use in tempering the air both in summer and winter. The system herein described as being primarily intended for installation in a dwelling, but it is to be understood that saidsystem may be used in any tpe of building wherein heated air is to be supplied in winter and cooled air inA summer. The underlying principles of the invention will be readily understood from the following statements of the objects thereof:

First, to provide a duel system of tempering air throughout an entire year, embodying provisionsfor heating the air in winter and cooling A the air in summer.

Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a partially sectional` and'side ele-L vational view of the .apparatus in Fig. 2, illustrating the multiple damper settingfor summer operation.

and for reversing the ow of air to and from the rooms of the dwelling.

Fourth, toprovide three denite methods of cooling the rooms of the dwelling in summer,

said methods being clearly explained in the del scription below.

Fifth, to provide a multiple damper which enables controlling the suction side of the blower.

Sixth, to provide a system of the character described wherein the plenum chamber over the blower can be made to receive air either from the return ducts as under commonly known herein disclosed multiple damper, but not neces- I sarily on the specic construction thereof.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specication, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: A

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic cross section of a dwelling illustrating the installation ,of the improved heating and Ventilating system.

Figure 2 is a vertical section lof the combined tempering and blower apparatus, the setting of Figure 5 is an enlarged section of a portion of the tempering unit, more particularly illustrating the multiple damper.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the multiple damper hereinbefore referred to.

This invention is an improvement on the air tempering apparatus disclosed in an application for patent by Jack F. Shelton, filed August 30, 1939, Serial No. 292,752. In that application use is made of a vdamper arrangement for controlling thepassage of air through a heating and cooling apparatus, but the arrangement for accomplishing that purpose in the instant invention is far more-comprehensive in its scope of operation vsince it embodies' a plurality of dampers capable of either coordinated operation suit certain specific needs.

The instant disclosure is that of the installa? tion of the system in a house I which, for the purpose of convenient. identification, includes outside walls 2, a number of partitions 3, a plu- I2 in which the reversible heating and ventilat-l ing apparatus I3 is emplaced.

By referring to Fig. 2 this apparatus is seen to comprise what yis herein known as the air tempering unit I4 and the blower unit I5. The

unit I4 comprises a casing I6 to which the air treating element Il is conned. The reason for this rather broad designation of the element Il is to. anticipate some variation in its character.

For winter use the element I1 will comprise heating coils and all of the necessary apparatus that goes with them, while in summer said coils may either be converted into or vreplaced by refrigerating coils, again with allof the necessary apparatus.

The casing I6 has a top -shoulder I8 with an upstanding ange I9 which constitutes `the boundary of a verylarge opening 20, said opening in fact almost equalling the cross sectional area of the casing. Aplenum chamber 2| surmounts the casing I6, use being made of the flange I9.

to provide a stable and air-tight connection.

Said chamber has at least two openings. 22, 23, the first being used as the place of aixation of a duct connection 24 with a plenum chamber 25 32 of a blower 33 in the casing 26 of the unit I5.-

The fan of said blower is operated by a motor 34 which is subject to any desired mode of control.

A frame 35 is set in the bottom opening 21 (Fig. ,5) in fact it is provided with a tight iit inside of the duct 28. The use of said frame is not' necessarily adhered to., but it is shown at this particular place as providing a convenient mount for the ends of a' plurality of shafts 36 to which therlouvers 31 of a multiple damper 38 are secured. The free ends of these louvers are pivotally connected by a short link 39 on one end and by a strap iron tie rod 40 on the other side.

This rod extends lup into the vicinity of-the opening 20 where it is connected to the crank extension 4lof one of the shafts'of a plurality of such shafts 42 of another multiple damper 43. The louvers 44 of this damper are secured desirably taken out for summer use of the apparatus, of which Fig. 4 is an illustration.

One or more return ducts 83 are connected to the plenum chamber 25 of the unit I5. Usually there is a plurality of these ducts as shown in Fig. 1, each extending 01T to a return grille 84 located substantially on the floor line and either in the outside walls or partitions of the house. Said return ducts actually merge into a single flue 65 which has4 direct connection with the plenum chamber 25, the purpose of this merging the ducts being to make a balanced damper 58 responsible to the total volume of returning air.-

Said damper is located in the iiue 65 where it is supported -by a cross shaft 81.A An arm 68 extending off and upward from this shaft carries a weight 66., 'I here is a set screw 15l which provides for the adjustment of the weight so that the desired balance of the .damper is obtainable.

The previously mentioned opening 23 ofthe plenum chamber 2| (Fig. 5) is to be vregarded as representative of a number ofsuch openings,

' each providing the place of connection for a supply duct 1I which leads oi to a supply register 12 located high in the respective wall or pocket as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The operation is readily understood. The usual arrangement of the mumple dempers- 38, n, sn

tothe respective shafts, the free ends of the louvers being connected by links 45. Instead of duplicating the frame for the multiple damper 43 u se ismade of the upstanding flange I3 as the support for the louver shafts.

Another one of the latter shafts has Ya crank extension 48. One end of a link 41 is attached to this crank whencel the -link'extends upwardly and makes lconnection at its other end to a crank extension 48 of one of the shafts of a'plurality 43 of such shafts which constitute parts of a thirdmultiple damper .50. The louvers 5I of be employed for its mounting.

Thus far it will be seen that the tempering unit I4 is supplemented with a system of multiple dempers which-are so interconnected as to constitute a completely articulated damper system. Under usual circumstances it is intended that all of the multiple dampers shall be operated in a unitary manner. For this purpose the tie rod 48 has a stud 53 extending oi to one side to a place of exposure on the exterior of the Acasing I6, where connection is made with the slotted end 54 of a hand lever 55. 'Ihe pivot 58 on which this lever is turnable includes a wing nut 51 which is adapted to be tightened this damper are secured tothe shafts as before, u their free ends being connected by links 52 as at the chosen position of the lever at which the.

tallilisheiii.`

With reference to the blower unit I5 it is seen ma u onine inside (me. 4) upon which meer screens' 82 (Fig. 2) are adapted to be set for winter use of the apparatus. ,These screensare 7s refrigerating coil is as shown in the drawings, for example Fig. 6,

according to which al1 three of said dempersv are interconnected -by the tie rod40 and link 41. Thusit is plain `that when the lever 55 is moved in a given direction there will be an instant response in each of thedampers, establishing a setting of the louvers in any position within the possible range of movement.

However,l it`is desired to point out at this -place that for some installations it -may be regarded.

of the multiple dampers and with that requireand link 41 are desirable to suspend the uniersal adJustability ment in mind the tie rod 4 made so that' they can be slipped of! of the cranks 4|,46 and 48, leaving these-cranks free for independent operation and consequently in- ,fdependent settings of the respective dampers.

But considering the apparatus as it will be used customarily,` the winter setting of the multiple dampers will be as shown in Fig 2. When the mid damper 43 is open as in this setting, the terminal dempersA 38, 58 are closed. The operation of the blower 33 produces an indraft through all of the return ducts -63 to the plenum ordinary mode of freshening the air being 'n adopted to avoid unduly vitiating the total volume. This mode may comprise a common exdesired setting of the multiple dempers is es- Y chamber 25, whence the air current is delivered to the casing I6 for warmingA by the element I1. It is then delivered to the plenum chamber 2I whence it is distributed to the rooms of the house through the supply ducts 1I.

Under this winter setting the air is circulated through the rooms and the apparatus I3, any

pedient such as partly opening one -of the windows.

The` setting for summer use is illustrated in" Fig. 4. The mid damper 43 is now closed and i both terminal dampers '38,-58 are open. It is at this point whereat three possible methods of cooling are logically explained;` rst by convertis set down `over the flange 58 to make a tight.' connection. The chamber 218 has a number of mant, air from. the blower discharged over the will be cooled andv thus temper ing the erstwhile heating element I1 into a refrigerating coilor, if .it be chosen to place a refrigerating coil'besidethe heating coil which under this circumstance mind-naturally be dorthe rooms. Second, for the morning hours while it is still cool inside 'of the house, the windows and doors should be kept closed to keep the rising outside temperature from entering the house. The blower 33 will then draw'the air vfrom the rooms through all of the ducts with return grilles at the floor level discharging it back into the rooms through the overhead reg'- isters. Y

The third mode of cooling is to induce natural ventilation. For this purpose the multiple damper setting will be as in Fig. 4. All of the Windows should be open. Underthis circumstance all ofthe ducts both return and supply will act as return or suction ducts. The blower k33 will induce an indraft both at the floor grilles 64 and the overhead registers 12, discharging the total volume of air into the exhaust duct 2B and inducing a breeze at each of the open windows.

The last arrangement is especially advantageous on warm summer nights when there is no breeze outside. By opening the windows and starting the operation of the blower 33I with' the multiple dampers set as in Fig. 4, fresh air will be drawn in through the open windows with a yforce substantially equal to that of the air current driven by the ordinary electric fan.

The foregoing methodl f distributing the air is regarded as being distinctly novel. This method will operate as stated whether the multiple damper arrangement is built in as an integral. part of an original. installation, or whether it is added to any standard forced air heating system. The outstanding advantage is approximate ceiling height and return grilles at A approximate oor level in each of the rooms, a

blower unit and an air temperingunit, an independent plenum chamber embodied in each of 3 ing at leastone room with a window Vwhich is adapted to be opened, an air supply register at 'approximate ceiling height and a return grille at approximate oor level in said room, a blower unit and an air tempering unit having a conduit connecting the lower portions of the blower unit and the air tempering unit, an independent plenum chamber embodied in the top of each unit, a connection between said chambers, an exhaust duct Alea/ding from the tempering unit substantially in line with the transition piece, an air supply duct connecting the register with the tempering unit plenum chamber, being adapted primarily for the -Vpressure supply of air to said register, a return duct connecting the grille with the blower unit plenum chamber, being adapted primarily for the suction return of air, and a multiple damper arrangement including dampers located crosswise oi the tempering unit. dampers located across the opening of the chamber connection and dampers located across the exhaust duct,saicl three sets of dampers being interconnected, and means iorsimultaneously operating the three sets of dampers to close on' and by-pass the4 tempering unit and at the same time to open said connection and exhaust duct for a common indraft of air into the supply register as well as return grille, thus lto induce an air current through the open window into the room for eventual discharge into the exhaust duct.

3. Air tempering apparatus lfor a building having at least one room with a window which is' adapted to be opened.' an air supply register at approximate ceiling height and a return grille at approximate iioor level in said room, a blower unit consisting of -a casing containing a blowchamber substantially in line With the conduit.

- an air supply duct connecting the register with the units, a connection between said chambers, v

an exhaust duct leading from the temperingunit, air supply ducts connecting .the registers with the tempering unit plenum chamber, beingadapted primarily for the pressure supply of air tosaid registers, return ducts connecting the grilles with the blower unit plenum chamber, being adapted primarily for the suction re- .trn of air, a duct connecting lthe blower unit with the tempering unit and a multiple damper the A tempering unit plenum chamber, being adapted primarily for the supply of air under pressure `to said register, a return duct connecting the grille with the blower unit plenum chamber, being adapted primarily for the suction return of air; and a multiple damper arrangement including dampers located crosswise of the tem- 'pering casing' above its contained element arrangement including dampers located across the tempering unit, dampers located across the connection between thel plenum chambers and dampers .located across thev exhaust duct,

said three sets of dampers being interconnected,v

means for simultaneouslyoperating the sets Aof dampers .to close oi! and by-pass the tempering unit and at the same time to open said connection and exhaust duct for a common indraft of air from all of the rooms into all of the registers as well as all of the grilles thus-to exhaust the air of the rooms froxntwo points through both plenum chambers and out at the exhaust duct.

2; Air tempering apparatus for a building vhavdampers controlling the ow of air through the connection between the plenum chambers and dampers controlling the flow o! air through the exhaust duct, said three sets of dampers being interconnected, and means simultaneously operating the three sets of dampers to close access of the tempering unit casing to the respective v plenum /chamber and at the same time open' said chamber to the respective connection and to open the respective casing to the exhaust duct for a common indraft of air into the supply register as well as return grille, thus to in'- duce unl-directional owingcf a common cur- 

